Monthly Archives: September 2011

Weekend Dog Events

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There are two main dog events happening this weekend (that I know of). If you know of any dog events in the area, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact me with events that I should include or post. Thanks!

Go Lucy, Go!

We’re soon heading to Galena for the Oktoberfest Wiener Dog Races, with heats starting at noon tomorrow. Lucy has been tapering her workouts and resting. Gertie has her clipboard for Lucy’s splits. Duke has choreographed a hopping, jumping, romping cheer.

The Cheyenne Off-Leash Area will be holding its grand re-opening tomorrow, October 1, at 10:00 a.m. Let the dogs run free!

This guy looks like he wants to go to the dog park!

You can always find out about upcoming dog events on the DoggiEvents page.

What are your dog-related plans for the weekend?

Autumn Dogs in Iowa

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Is it just me, or are the fall colors especially vibrant this year? Walking with my dogs allows me to really soak in this beauty. I’m thankful that they encourage me to disconnect from all of the technology in modern life and connect to something as simple yet awe-inspiring as the changing hues of the foliage. So I try to stay focused on the dogs and on simply walking and taking in the sights around me, as the canines take in the smells.

When we just had Gertie, I would sometimes take my phone on walks (I know, I know, only sometimes?!), and once in a while I’d take pen and paper in case I had to take notes if a source called back while we were walking. But I didn’t usually enjoy these walks as

Hmmm, tastes like autumn.

much–I wasn’t relaxing or reveling in Gertie’s joy at romping through the grass or noticing the chipmunk that perked her ears. And while multitasking, I would get more impatient with Gertie (NO! Yank! Sigh. Grrrr.).

Now, walking both Gertie and Duke is multi-tasking in itself–I feel like I’m driving a team of horses with a leash in each hand. Then there’s the matter of the two-three poop bags, and the subsequent disposal, that Duke requires (Gertie blessedly does not poop on walks–only in the yard, and I love her for it). So I don’t even try to add anything to the situation, because I prefer that

Ackkkk! Autumn doesn't taste great.

respite from the harried life I, and I don’t want to accidentally smear all my gadgets and multitasking tools with poo.

Yesterday, my neighbor walked down the street with his dog, and he was reading a book (the neighbor, not the dog–if that were the case, I promise I would have put it in the headline). I’ve seen him do this once before. I love reading, and I realize that when people have kids and jobs, they have to sneak reading in when they can. But how is that an enjoyable walk or reading session? How many street signs has he run into? Does he pop Tylenol for the inevitable  straining headache behind the eyes he’ll get from trying to follow the jostling text? (No word on whether the pages of that book are now poo-covered.)

Do you multitask when walking with your dog? Why or why not? How?

From Behind Slobber-Coated Glass: Window Boxer Dogs

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I told Dogs and Literature in a comment that I would post pictures of my window boxers, in response to her post More Window Boxers. Who knew that was a thing? (It wasn’t, really, until she and her boyfriend made it up. But, as she says, now that they’ve made it up, they’re seeing more and more window boxers and continuing to take pictures.)

So here are mine, behind slobber-coated glass (Dogs and Literature amazingly has many without the slobber, but I guess they’re mostly open windows):

Um, why are we in here when you're out there? Hello?

Is there any point in cleaning the storm door? I think not.

A spaniel sneaked into this Window Boxer picture!

Do you have pictures of your doggie in the window? If so, post a comment with a link or email me the picture at a.thomson.viner@gmail.com. I’d love to see them (and I’ll post them too)!

A Visit with Wizard Dog

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Duke and Gertie got to visit Wizard Dog (aka Lucy the dachsund) at her new house this evening. At her house, she can not only walk along the back of the couch and hide behind it, she can crawl under it! Duke was mystified. It’s always intriguing to watch big dogs and little dogs interact. Gertie often took the role of protector, getting in between Duke and Lucy if she thought the play was getting too vicious.

Tough doxie!

Maybe Lucy was just showing off her game face for the big race this Saturday (the Wiener Dog Race at Oktoberfest in Galena). She plans to show up at the race site, hop on the registration table, and demand to know the whereabouts of last year’s winner. She will then strut up to him and call him a fatty (because, as you may have read in this post, he has gained two pounds since his big win—and two pounds in Dachshund World is like a hundred pounds for humans).

Here is Lucy in her gangsta warmup outfit:

Intimidating, huh?

Gertie and Duke think that an athlete of Lucy’s caliber needs bodyguards. So they’ll be wearing black SECURITY t-shirts, walking in front of her and growling at the other dogs who try to get too friendly.

In unrelated dog news from the internet, I found this story about a Pug Social in Vermont. It reminded me of my daydream to gather as many boxers as possible in one park. We would, of course, have to get a group picture. It would be mass chaos with all of those goofy dogs but such cute mass chaos! Maybe Mid-Iowa Boxer Rescue would host an event like this. This one was hosted by a pug rescue group, I believe.

Anyway, wish Wizard Dog good luck this Saturday! I will be excited to report on all of the details of the event, including the race heats, semi-finals, and finals, the crowning of Wiener Dog King and Queen, the costume contest, and the doxie parade.

What mystifies your dogs? Who are your dogs’ friends? Have you ever been to a Wiener Dog Race? (Lots of questions today!)

Dog Days of Fall

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Whoever decided the muggiest, ickiest days of summer should be call the “dog days” obviously did not have a dog. Tomorrow is the first day of fall, and these are the dog days–crisp, cool mornings that encourage friskiness and afternoons temps in the 60s and 70s, with some sunshine for basking and breezes to carry scents.

I’ve seen many dogs enjoying walks on the bike trail, schoolyards, Noelridge Park, and all around town. I have wished a few times lately that I had a forehead-mounted camera ready to capture happy doggie moments. It seems like dogs and their people have been in a good mood this week, really enjoying these easy temperatures and the first glimpses of autumn colors in the trees. Gertie and Duke have enjoyed walks around the neighborhood and Bever Park, as well as frolicking in their yard and outdoors at Dog Zone.

Autumn here we come!

Gertie and her treasure ball.

Ah, love this weather!

What is your dog’s favorite weather? What do you and your dog like about fall?

Upcoming DoggiEvents: Off to the Races

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PAWS in the Park

PAWS in the Park–Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control will be hosting the first annual PAWS in the park this Saturday, September 24 in Noelridge Park. Race-day registration begins at 9:00, with the races starting at 10:30. The event includes two fun run/walks, pet contests, and vendors, and it will raise money for the Spay and Neuter Fund. I will probably miss the event, but it sounds like a lot of fun. Hopefully Duke, Gertie, and I can make it next year!

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Galena Oktoberfest Wiener Dog Race–The Galena Lions Club is hosting Oktoberfest on October 1, and it includes a Wiener Dog Race! l am pretty excited to see this race action–Tom and I are going with our friends Chandra and Andrew and their doxie Lucy (“Wizard Dog” to Duke and Gertie). The gossip on Main Street Galena is that last year’s winner has put on two pounds, so the field is wide open. We plan to bring a winner home to Cedar Rapids (meaning that we expect Lucy to win–no pressure Wizard Dog–not that we are going to dog-nap the winning wiener dog). I’d like to take Gertie and Duke to the race to cheer, but I’m pretty sure Gertie would enter the race by force. We may be taking them with us for the weekend, though, and staying at Galena Log Cabin Getaway, where they can rub furry elbows with alpacas and goldendoodles. I’ll report back on our stay!

Source--He looked kind of like this, but with a more distinguished goatee and slightly darker fur.

On another note, don’t you love when you’re sitting at a stoplight, and you absent-mindedly look out your window, smile at the passenger in the car next to you, then do a double-take and realize it’s a dog? I “met” a goldendoodle this way today. He was very handsome, with a thick goatee and honey-colored fur. I hadn’t seen a goldendoodle with that shade of fur, but I specifically rolled down my window to ask his dad what kind of dog he was ’cause I just had to know. Gertie does this sometimes. No, she doesn’t roll down the car window and talk to people, but she’ll lie down on the car seat after a long day of play at the Dog Zone, and then pop up at stoplights and surprise people. I love seeing those surprised smiles on people’s faces.

Do you know of any dog events happening in Iowa or surrounding states this fall? Do you ogle dogs in cars?

3 Super Surprises on a Walk

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One of the great things about dogs is that they find joy in the mundane–they anticipate every walk with excitement. Even if their human knows it’s only going to be a 15-minute walk this time or that they’re just going to walk around the same old neighborhood, dogs trot into the walk with a purpose, pulling at the leash as if they know this walk will be special, each and every time. But sometimes even dogs are surprised by just how well a walk turns out.

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Surprise 1: This morning, Duke, Gertie, and I started our walk in the little park near our house. I was trying to figure out how I could really wear them out before I headed to the Iowa game, and we saw some speedy runners go by. Many more runners, some speedy and some not so, followed. Once I saw several guys in wrestling singlets and girls in costume, I realized it was the Coe College Homecoming 5K. Gertie and Duke watched and wiggled, flabbergasted by runners in Tin Man costumes (the homecoming theme was “There’s No Place Like Coe”). Gertie finally pulled Duke and I over to check out two funnel-capped participants on bikes. They admired and pet her, so she felt fulfilled.

While Gertie would have liked to join the runners (and some of them looked like they would have liked to have her pull them), the novelty of watching a couple hundred festive runners go by, and prancing alongside them, satisfied both dogs.

Surprise 2: Gertie found a treasure. She spotted it (or, more likely, smelled it) nestled in the grass near the middle school. She snapped it up and ferried it home to her yard (and then her living room):Surprise 3: Gertie has made friends before on walks, but it doesn’t happen every time, so today’s new buddy counts as Surprise #3. We happened to walk out along the 5K route and followed the same path back, so the college kids working the race saw us twice. On our way home, one of them switched places with his friend, then called out to me, “Hey, can I pet your dogs?” He looked sheepish, but Gertie answered in the affirmative by wiggling and sidestepping her way over to him as Duke loped dutifully behind. As Gertie leaned into his legs, we chatted about his fawn boxer from home, who he was missing. I remember yearning for some canine interaction in college as I missed my golden retrievers, so I was extra pleased that Gertie and Duke met this friend and “made his day,” as he said.

Bonus Surprise: The dogs also enjoyed a post-game surprise–their Uncle Nate came to visit! Duke had not met his Uncle Nate yet, and after some initial suspicion decided he liked this visitor. Gertie, on the other other hand, was so ecstatic to see Nate in the driveway that she charged at the storm door hard enough to force it open and sneak out to greet him!

Gertie and Nate cuddling at Christmastime

What surprises has your dog enjoyed on walks?

Dog Walk: Bever Park

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Yesterday was a DW Day (Double Walk Day) for Gertie and Duke. In the morning we simply walked through the park and grassy areas in our neighborhood. The dogs relished the crisp, cool air, walking with an extra friskiness in their steps. They seemed especially entranced by the smells they encountered, as if they hadn’t ever inhaled such interesting odors as the ones along this fence–no wait, this tree–no, this patch of exquisite weeds!

The barn at Old MacDonald's Farm in Bever Park

In the afternoon we headed to Bever Park in Cedar Rapids. The park offers a loop road, trails through the woods, and Old MacDonald’s Farm. We walked the loop road yesterday, which goes past Old MacDonald’s Farm (the canines can’t go in, of course, but they still enjoy the sights, sounds, and especially smells, from outside the fence).

The main entrance to the park is off Bever Avenue, but we always park at a little gravel lot off of Linden Drive. The first stop is what I call the Bulletin Board. I imagine that these posts have all kinds of odoriferous messages for dogs: Who’s been here lately? Male or female? Any wild animals come by last night? Ooh, a human spilled something! Gertie and Duke sniffed them intently as we entered.

We're so excited, and we just can't hide it!

I enjoy walking the loop road with the dogs because there are plenty of natural areas just off the road for the dogs to sniff (and mark, and yes, mark again, Duke). But it’s also nice because it has two big hills, so I feel like I’m getting a bit of a toning workout.

When we walked past Old MacDonald’s Farm, we heard quacking, which always perks the dogs’ ears. Sometimes we hear mooing or braying or clucking. The dogs always smell exciting scents.

There’s even excitement outside the fence–poo!

After we got past the farm, we walked along the stream, up the hill, and back to the car for post-walk refreshment:

Slurp! Ahhhh.

 Where do you like to walk your dogs? What’s your dog’s favorite thing about fall?

Bad Dog Mom, Bad!

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Here’s my confession: I felt really horrible on Sunday (which may have been self-inflicted, but we don’t really need to get into that, do we?), and I didn’t walk the dogs. I assuaged my guilt by reasoning that they were also worn out from our Iowa vs. ISU viewing party, which allowed them to play with human friends and a little dachsund buddy–Lucy (who Gertie and Duke think is a wizard dog because she can disappear into crevices and hop lightly onto ledges). But they really could have used a walk.

There have been a few days in the past when I haven’t walked Gertie (usually because I was sick), and I always felt guilty. But, as Emerson said, “Tomorrow is a new day…” I was glad to have the chance to do better on Monday, and I tried to be extra patient when the dogs stopped for exciting smells. And they’re at the Dog Zone today, so they’re happy campers.

My other infraction was that I didn’t update the dog blog for two days. But I don’t think Gertie and Duke have noticed (hmmm, have those little boogers not subscribed to my blog?!), so I guess it doesn’t totally count as being a bad dog mom. And two days isn’t really that long. I did promise myself when I started the blog that I wouldn’t be one of those people who starts their blog posts with, “I can’t believe it’s been so long since I’ve posted!” So I’m glad I got back to the blog quickly and spared you that opening line. :)

Do you ever feel like a bad dog parent?

Would You Punch a Bear?

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(AP Photo/Juneau Empire, Michael Penn)

No? Not even to save your dog from being carried off like a salmon? The Gazette recently ran an article about an Alaska woman who punched a bear to save her dachsund. You can read it here. Normally if I read about someone punching a bear, I would feel bad for the bear and angry at the assailant. And many people probably think she’s just plain crazy for risking her life. But I totally understand her impulse to save her dog. Luckily we don’t have black bears here in the Midwest, but I would do just about anything to save Gertie or Duke. I have jumped in front of Gertie when a seemingly aggressive dog charged us on the street (he turned out to be all kisses), but I’ve never punched a wild animal.

Would you punch a bear to protect your dog?

And apparently the Gazette employs some dog lovers (yay!) because just a few days later, they ran this article about the dog with the longest ears (according to the Guinness Book of World Records). I guessed it was a basset hound, but I was wrong. (I’m leaving the picture out so you can take a guess.) As a lifelong lover of dog ears (so silky!), I say bravo.

Were you right? What did you guess?